


All the Light that You Possess

by Iki_teru



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Multi, can be taken as OT3 or as just REALLY GOOD FRIENDS, epic journey, friendship fic, interpretation up to you, more tags pending more chapters, you're going to see so many worlds here y'all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-17 00:45:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9296789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iki_teru/pseuds/Iki_teru
Summary: Sora, Riku, and Kairi receive an urgent missive from King Mickey. Their help is needed again, a new threat, a new enemy. Something the King has never witnessed before and their aid is required to get to the bottom of this. They leave home the day after their high school graduation, not knowing what to expect, but at least they know they have each other. (canon divergent for Dream Drop Distance and further)





	1. Setting Sail

**Author's Note:**

> I have literally been working on this fic since before Dream Drop Distance came out. Too much time and energy has been poured into it for me to abandon it. it's still a WIP but I've got enough of it done that I decided it's a now or never kind of posting situation. Expect an update once a month, hopefully. Since this was started well before DDD it's canon divergent for before that point, meaning nobody is a master, Lea is still Axel, is still dead as far as this story is concerned.  
> Later on, this story is going to be dealing with some dark issues, exploring Kairi's feelings when she was kidnapped (pick a time), along with her fears concerning her place in the world and I promise to put up warnings for those chapters in particular. Starting out, however, should be fairly easy to digest. <3

Kairi hugs her father and gives her mother a quick kiss on the cheek. "Good night," she says, "I'll probably be home late, don't wait up." She skips through the door, barefoot and still in her graduation robe- the front now unzipped and billowing around her to reveal the simple black mini dress she wore beneath, hair still carefully pinned and curled around her shoulders. They had barely finished the obligatory _happy graduate_ photos before she had turned, tugging out the clips that held her cap in place.

Her mother shouts something too late for Kairi to catch all the way across the yard. She pauses, feels the cobblestones still warm from the sun beneath her feet, and considers turning back to see what her mother had said. Probably something like _I love you_ or _don't drink too much_ or _don't let Selphie drink at all, you know how she gets._ No matter, it's the night of her high school graduation, her parents will forgive her for continuing on her way. It's not like she won't be home soon enough.

(In her head,she pushes aside fairy tales and stories of children who did this same thing and ended up getting eaten by things going bump in the night. She tries to convince herself they were only stories and nothing more.)

The wharf is all but deserted. there is a lone grandparent buying a late evening snack of ice cream for his granddaughter, who takes the cone with a giddy _Thank you, Gampy!_ and then they too are off to elsewhere. Now it's just Kairi- busy with the knot keeping her dinghy tied to the pier- and the workers of the ice cream parlor, clicking off lights and shutting down for the night.

The ocean is calm, practically asleep. Kairi's boat makes gentle ripples as she paddles along her way. Her destination isn't too far; she can already see the flickering light of the bonfire on the beach of the little island where they all used to play. She smiles to herself and paddles a little faster.

Kairi is a late arrival, this much is apparent when she comes up to the island and finds the waters crowded with other boats. They're all tied together, creating a floating barrier between her and the island. She's close enough to hear the thrum of music and the sound of laughter stepping on the edge of hysteria. The sounds of too tipsy youths.

Wakka is set up on one of the nearby boats with a lantern. He waves her over and helps her tie her boat to the others. "You need help navigating your way?" He asks, sliding from his current position over to her boat, settling down to wait for the next arrival of the night. As an already graduated individual, Wakka has taken it upon himself to provide the chaperone element to the party and try to keep it form getting _too_ rowdy. He takes out a handkerchierf from a bag at his side, this one a bright blue- Kairi sees a rainbow of other colors exploding out of the bag and wonders where he got them all- scrawls Kairi's name on one half and proceeds to rip it in two. The half with her name is tied around the exposed bar holding up the seat, and the other half is knotted around her wrist with care.

"I'll be okay," says Kairi. She places an appreciative kiss to Wakka's cheek, squeezes his hand in farewell, and makes her way carefully across the rocking boats.

"If you fall in just holler, someone will save ya!" Wakka laughs, attention already sliding out to the empty sea. She thinks he looks prophetic, sitting a lonely vigil like that and she shivers, hoping this isn't an omen.

The boats are all tied in a careful arrangement so they make for an easy crossing. Most of them are pressed close enough to each other that there's little threat of falling over but Kairi doesn't let that deceive her. She's spent enough time in these waters to develop a healthy level of respect and caution.

The beach is crowded with teenagers, most still wearing their graduation robes. Kairi stops where she is, still too far out for anyone to notice her in the gloom of night, and tries to suppress the shivering thought of another group of people clad in black. It's been years since her dealings with Organization XIII, yet she still finds herself frozen when the thought of them- of _him-_ slides through her mind. 

(There is the flash of golden eyes and blue hair when she blinks, like he's been imprinted on the back of her eyelids forever.)

There is someone station on the dock, propped lazily in an uncomfortable looking folding chair. He doesn't have a lantern, the light of the fire reaches far enough to provide a field of vision for him, and he waves as Kairi approaches. "Hey there, beautiful." he grins down at her even as he reaches a hand out to help her up.

Kairi manages to dredge up a laugh, shaking off her memories and fears as she swats at his shoulder. "Hello, Zidane." She squints at the party-goers, all familiar faces and none the faces she's looking for. "How much is admittance this year?"

"A steep ten munny if you please." Zidane makes a dramatic bow as he holds a hand out. Kairi rolls her eyes and deposits the change. "As always, it has been a pleasure, my lady." He slides a long necked bottle out of the cooler at his side and passes it to Kairi. "Enjoy the festivities."

Kairi salutes Zidane with the bottle before jumping down into the soft sand of the beach, her robe ballooning out behind her.

The beer is flavored, strawberry, and it does little to mask the bitter taste of alcohol. Kairi sips at it, trying to enjoy it while it's at least still cold. Several of her classmates stop her for hugs and pictures. There is the obligatory small talk: summer plans, who is going to what college, and how much everyone will miss everyone else. Kairi doesn't have the energy to pretend to be excited, she offers a pasted on smile and slips away when the opportunity presents itself.

She finds Selphie and Tidus sitting on the sloped roof of the seaside shack. They wave down to her and Kairi takes the momentary detour to join them. Tidus helps her up and Selphie flashes a watery smile.

"Selphie!" Kairi trips over to her friend, giving her a tight hug. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing. I'm just," pause for a sniffle. "I'm just really excited we finally graduated!"

"She's lying." Tidus sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "She's completely bummed out because now everyone is heading off to do their own thing." His eyes slide over Kairi, studying her carefully. She can practically read the accusation in his gaze.

Kairi dabs Selphie's face dry with the sleeve of her robe. "Hey, it's okay. The islands aren't _that_ big, we won't be far. We can call and write and we'll visit on holidays, okay?" She bites her tongue hard, swallowing the truth and forcing her face into a smile like she believes her own lies.

"I know, it's just..." Selphie takes a deep breath, leans her head back and blinks rapidly to try and keep the newest wave of tears at bay. "It's just never going to be the same, you know?"

"True, but different doesn't have to be bad." Kairi hugs her again, not as tightly this time. "You should know that, Sunshine."

The nickname makes Selphie laugh a little, enough that she almost drops her drink.

Kairi stays with Selphie and Tidus a little longer, letting herself swim in the past for a moment. There's no telling how long it'll be before she'll see them again and she just... wants her last moments with them to be a happy one. They spend long minutes taking swigs from their drinks and starting every other sentence with _hey, remember when..._ They watch the people on the beach; dancing, laughing, voices bouncing back strangely in the dark of the night- sounds distorted by the queer combination of elation and depression and alcohol. There are people everywhere, too many to count, too many to fit on this small stretch of land. It makes Kairi feel itchy in her skin to be surrounded like this.

It takes several handfuls of memories before Kairi recalls her original purpose. Tidus has to help her down so she doesn’t hurt herself; somehow her beer has been emptied and replaced. She’s not tipsy, not yet, but she feels warm and more willing to smile.

She moves away from the main bonfire, walks along the water line, kicks up a fine spray of ocean and laughs as the cool water soaks into the hem of her robe. Kairi walks under the bridge leading to the paopu island, hears feet stomping back and forth over-head, and thinks of fairy-tales for the second time in the night. “There are no trolls here,” she tells herself, moving along quickly just in case.

The entrance to the cove is congested with another, smaller fire. Several people around it call out to her, someone presses a fresh beer to her hand (when had that second one emptied, she wonders.) “Kairi!” a girl with a short bob waves to her and it takes Kairi a moment to recognize her as Garnet, a fellow classmate and one of the few girls she got along with well in school.

“You cut your hair?” Kairi pets Garnet’s shorn locks, marveling at how strange the girl looks now without hair down to her waist.

Garnet smiles and shakes her head, clearly enjoying the way her hair moves. “Yup, figured it was time for a change.” She sips at her drink, regarding Kairi with a knowing look. “You never did tell me, what college are you going to?”

Kairi’s returning smile freezes in place; she can feel her shoulders tightening despite the fuzzy layer of alcohol coating everything. “Taking a year off.” It’s a well worn lie. “We’re going back-packing across some of the less traveled islands, staying in tents and living off the land,” she reminds herself to smile, to look excited.

There is a pause and then Garnet’s expression twists into something resembling pity. “Trying to make up for those adventures you guys never got to have as kids, huh?”

Kairi thinks that if she bites her tongue any harder she’s going to make herself bleed. “Yeah, something like that.”

She’s finally released with a hug and a lingering cloud of Garnet’s perfume follows her through the door to the cove. It’s quieter on this side of the island. Kairi can hear a few hushed conversations, the sound of someone sobbing. She stops where she is, considers going to check on the crying individual, and then reminds herself not to meddle. “You need practice on that,” she tells herself. It takes a lot more willpower than Kairi expects to walk away.

 

There are voices from the watchtower. Kairi pauses and stares up, up, up, and has it always been so tall? She thinks the voices are kind of familiar; then again all the voices tonight have been kind of familiar. It’s all been like a rotten game of _guess who_ , with her eyes covered from behind by someone’s clammy hands, their breath hot in her ear. _Guess Who_ whispering, trying to change the pitch of their voice to throw her off. (Trying to hold her down, _your hero is coming, little princess._ Hands tight on her wrists, eyes golden and distant even as they bore into her. _Still, there is much time left, and many of your secrets can be unraveled before he arrives._ )

Kairi chunks her bottle, aiming high for the open side of the tower. She misses, miserably. The bottle falls short, tumbling between two supporting beams to shatter on the rocks below. She laughs; a loud, rude, snorting sound, which just makes her laugh harder. How very un-princess like of her.

Someone pokes their head out of the watch-tower. Kairi thinks she can recognize the spiky haired silhouette staring down at her. She waves.

“Was that you just now?” asks Sora.

“Perhaps,” replies Kairi. She’s finding it suddenly _very_ hard to stand straight. It seems as if the whole world is slightly off kilter.

“Are you drunk?”

“I don’t _think_ so. Shouldn't the whole pure of heart thing negate alcohol?”

“Um, I don’t think so?”

“Oh, in that case then yes, possibly.”

Sora sighs and makes a move that implies bashing his head against the wall. “You can’t get up here, can you?”

“Sure I can!” She pauses. “Unless you mean to ask whether I can make it up there without causing grievous harm to my person, then no.” A distant part of Kairi, a small part in the very back of her brain that can still see through the fumes of mild drunkiness, is aware that she's speaking very slowly and enunciating with great care.

Sora disappears for a moment and Kairi is left staring at the dark tower. The tall, tall, tall dark tower. She considers, very briefly, climbing the ladder herself. She changes her mind almost immediately. “Sora,” she sings. “Let down your ha~ir.”

Someone thumps down next to her, probably launched from the tower itself if she knows her boys. Kairi turns toward him, smiling.

“You’re such a lightweight.” Riku shakes his head at her, only mockingly disapproving. He turns and kneels, there’s an awkward moment where he has to reach behind himself to help Kairi up on his back. His hands settle on her upper thighs, pulling her flush against him. “All set?”

She giggles and nods against his neck, the desire to sleep taking over suddenly. “They offered drinks, Riku. I _had_ to take them.”

“You have to take one to be polite. Three is just indulgent.” He moves up the ladder in swift, careful motions.

“How do you know I had three?” She sniffs at him and decides she likes the way he smells.

“One makes you calm, two makes you giggly, three makes you...this.”

“What about four?”

Riku shivered. “We don’t discuss four.”

They finally arrive at the top; Sora helps Kairi disentangle herself from Riku and promptly sets her up in a corner, away from the open ends. Riku is too tall and has to sit by the ladder, so he has a place to stretch his legs out. Even Sora looks uncomfortably squashed, his knees up to his chin as he shifts about, trying to get settled. There used to be days where all three fit easily, with room to spare. Kairi giggles and stretches her toes out, running her foot up Sora's shin.

“She’s had three, hasn’t she?” Sora asked Riku.

“Obviously.”

“You guys are silly.” Kairi tries to stretch out; she has the sudden and undeniable urge to lie down, maybe curl up, possibly take a nap. It was just so late and she was so _tired_.

“Oh man, she’s going to be a trip tomorrow. I can just imagine asking Mickey if he happens to know a good hangover cure.”

“I’d ask Donald first, he seems like the kind of guy who would have had a need for that.” Riku pokes at her foot. Kairi giggles and twitches her toes, pulls her leg to her chest and curls up under her graduation robe. The damp ends barely bug her as she teeters on the edge of sleep.

“We should have waited for her.” Riku says.

“She’s the one who insisted we go on ahead!”

“And when has that ever ended well at a party like this?”

There is a moment of silence; Kairi takes the opportunity to finally fall asleep. 

 

The earth is moving and it’s dark and Kairi wakes up swinging. Someone pushes her back down with what feels like the paddle end of an oar, if the drips of water are anything to go by.

“Wha?” asks Kairi intelligently.

“Just taking you home, sleeping beauty, you passed out.” Says Riku.

“Oh.” Replies Kairi. And then, “S’not sleeping beauty and _her_ name is Aurora. I met her. She has a nice voice.”

“She’s a princess, Kai, that’s like a pre-requisite.”

“But getting not drunk isn’t.” she yawns. “That’s no fair, or maybe I'm just not a real princess.”

 

Kairi wakes and this time it’s morning. She’s in bed. Her bed, she thinks. She tries to stretch, work the kinks out of her shoulders, and finds herself pinned. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she realizes the boys are in bed with her. Riku is on her right, lying in what looks like an uncomfortable position on his side, half dangling off the bed. Sora is on her left, soft kitten snores in her ear, an arm thrown over her chest, and a leg stretched across to curl over Riku’s knee possessively. For one achingly long moment she considers going back to sleep. But the sun is already high and the world is hot and they have things to do.

She shakes Riku awake first. He’s a fairly light sleeper and gives some sort of muffled reply to her prodding before unfolding himself and standing lazily. Riku regards her with sleep crusted eyes and mussed hair. “How’re you feeling?”

“Surprisingly well, all things considering.” Kairi smiles at him, doing her best to ignore the sudden, persistent pounding in her head. She slides out of bed, smiling indulgently as Sora flops onto his stomach and mews into her pillow. “Hey lazy bum, wake up.” Kairi pushes against his shoulder, rocking him gently.

Sora comes to with a gasp, whole body going tense beneath Kairi’s touch, he throws his hand out and summons his keyblade before he’s even fully alert. Nobody says anything for a long moment, waiting for Sora to come back to himself. (Nobody comments on the slightly blond sheen to his hair, or the way his eyes appear darker than normal. It’s just a trick of the light. That’s all.) He stares at them, unseeing, for a long tense minute. All at once the fight goes out of him, Sora flops onto his back, dismisses the keyblade in one easy motion, and he is the picture of the unworried teen he should be: bed rumpled hair and bad posture and easy smile. “Morning.”

Riku sighs in mock exasperation, all part of the act they play almost daily to pretend nothing has changed, that they’re still perfectly normal. “We’re late.” He says, picks his shoes up and steps over Sora and moves back across the bed to straddle the open window. “Twenty minutes, then we meet up at the dock, agreed?”

Sora and Kairi shake their head yes and watch as their friend drops to the ground. “Man,” says Sora. “He always makes that look so easy.” He slides a glance at Kairi. “You okay?”

“Fine.” She says, smiling despite the brittle pain thrumming through her head. “You’d better get going; I bet you haven’t packed yet.”

Sora pales, curses under his breath, and scrambles out the window; dropping down with a heavy thud and a shouted “see you in a bit, Kai!” over his shoulder. Just like that, he’s gone, perhaps nothing more than a fading memory that she’ll burn away in the daylight.

Kairi pinches herself to stop that train of thought.

There is precious little time left and much to do still. She manages a quick shower, enough to dull the hangover, pauses in front of the fogged bathroom mirror to wish her reflection a good morning. Her bag is packed and waiting for her at the door, a bright pink hiking backpack with too many pockets and not enough stuff to fill them. Mostly, it contains extra underclothes and socks, a few compulsory changes of clothes and an emergency first aid kit. The rest of it is stuffed with balled up newspaper to make it look like a backpack should for someone who is supposed to be hiking across the islands for months on end. That'll be exchanged later, at the Castle, with supplies they actually need. Kairi shoulders the bag and goes down the stairs, trying to keep a bounce in her step.

Her dad is not there. “Out fishing,” explains her mom. Kairi tries not to let her disappointment show. He doesn’t know, it isn’t his fault.

“Okay then,” says Kairi. “I’m off.” She hugs her mother tightly, inhales the smell of her perfume; jasmine and roses and lavender, and leaves before she starts crying.

They don’t know. It’s not their fault. The three of them made a mutual decision not to tell their parents, there was no telling how long they’d be gone, if they’d come back. This was the price you pay to save the worlds.

The day has blossomed warm and beautiful. Doors have been flung open, children playing in the street. Kairi dances through a game of double dutch, laughing as the kids call out to her to come back and play with them. She closes her eyes as she walks, absorbing the smells and sounds of her home, committing it to memory.

_got that memorized?_

Kairi opens her eyes, takes several deep breathes, tries to calm her racing heart. “I think I’m trying to jinx this trip before it even starts.” She pauses at the bridge, leans over and studies her reflection for a moment. The light shines strangely on the water, makes Kairi look like she has lighter hair, kinder eyes. She smiles at herself. “Yeah, okay. I get what you’re saying.” And hurries on her way.

Riku is already waiting besides the gummi-ship, staring determinedly away from the pilot of the craft. It seems some grudges last a long, long time. Kairi makes sure to smile extra bright as she greets them. “I’m finally here! Hello, Donald.”

The duck stops drumming his fingers against the steering wheel and turns a mostly happy face to her. “Kairi! Are you ready for your adventure?”

It still amazes Kairi how easy it is to understand Donald now days. Her first few visits to Disney Castle has been awkward and a little embarrassing for both parties as she tried to make heads or tails of his instructions. “More or less,” she says. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m a little nervous though.”

“Perfectly normal,” says Donald. “First journey jitters and all that, but you’re in pretty good hands and you had an amazing teacher, if I do say so myself.” It’s no secret that Donald’s extremely fond of the fact that Kairi picked up magic so quickly. As far as he’s concerned, it’s because he finally got a pupil worthy of his skills as a mage. Never mind the fact that he could only teach her the basics, her particular brand of magic meant more one on one with Queen Minnie than anyone else. Maybe he had just been happy to have a pupil who didn't bicker with him constantly, like Sora. 

Kairi giggles and manages to refrain from kicking Riku in the shin for rolling his eyes. “You’re probably right; I’ll feel better once we get under way.”

There is a long, tense silence in which Kairi tries to keep up conversation with both Riku and Donald, neither of whom seems to feel particularly comfortable in the presence of the other. Kairi is already feeling very drained when Sora shows up, a trash bag acting as his makeshift luggage. He grins easily at the assembled group and his very presence cuts through the atmospheric static like a warm knife through butter.

“Well,” says Sora. “What’re we waiting for, let’s go!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our trio of adventurers makes their final preparations for the journey ahead at Disney Castle. (As always, this is self edited so con crit is welcome and appreciated.)

Disney Castle rises out of the starry sky as a warm, blue glow. Kairi is pressed against the gummi ship’s small window, happy anticipation fluttering through her whole being. This is only the starting point, she has to remind herself, and there’s still so much to see after this.

This is not her first trip to the Castle, most of her training happened here. This will, however, be the first time she goes _beyond_ this world and it is that thought that fills her with the happy, nervous energy.

The gummi ship docks with a heavy thump and when the dust clears they see a small entourage waiting to greet them. They are lined up in a group: Goofy, Queen Minnie, Daisy, Chip, and Dale and the three identical nephews that belong to Donald, here on a visit and a small vacation from their bustling business. There is a suspiciously empty place by Queen Minnie and Kairi wonders if that hole was left intentionally.

Donald smacks the button for the hatch, turns towards them with a ducky grin that seems mostly aimed at Kairi. “Welcome back!” and she wonders if it should feel weirder than this, if it should feel like something other than returning home.

Sora goes tumbling down the ramp first; tripping into a hug with Goofy, performing something that Kairi would _maybe_ call a bow if she squinted to the queen and Daisy, and immediately launches into an enthusiastic chat with Chip and Dale.

Riku waits at the hatch for Kairi, a half smile on his face that seemed to say _what are we going to do with him_. Kairi offers her own in return, accompanied by a giggle. _we are going to love him and hug him and call him ours._

Goofy meets them at the bottom of the ramp, squeezing both of them into a tight embrace. “Gwarsh, it sure is good to see ya!” Riku makes an overplayed gasp for air, patting Goofy’s shoulder awkwardly and Kairi giggles, burrowing further into the warm arms, mumbling “you too” into Goofy’s chest.

Queen Minnie offers them an elegant curtsy quickly followed by a warm smile. “Goofy’s right, it _is_ good to see you all again. Mickey sends his regards.”

Riku shifts next to Kairi, the closest he would ever get to fidgeting uncomfortably. “Is he alright?”

Minnie laughs; a high, sweet sound. “Oh yes, but you know how he is. He’ll contact you once you’re on your way, I’m sure. Now, enough of that, let’s get you all settled in. I know you won’t be here for long, but I sincerely hope we can make this place feel like home for you.”

Kairi has no doubt in their ability to do that. She’s spent a great deal of time at the castle, while the boys were off galavanting and doing things that she wasn’t “ready” for yet. It had been insulting, in the beginning, to be dropped off like she needed a baby-sitter. That feeling had faded quickly enough, Queen Minie and Lady Daisy were genuinely kind and welcoming. Not to mention the sheer amount of magic she learned by the Queen's side. Their magics weren't exactly compatible, but she was more familiar working with pure light than Donald was and light seemed to be a side effect of Kairi's status as princess of heart. 

They’re led to the rooms they’ll be staying in for the night, by the queen herself, which earns several stammers and hesitations from the teenagers. For her part, Queen Minnie merely tuts at them. “We are friends before anything. Now hush and follow me.”

Three rooms, lined up in a row with interconnecting doors. They’re all identical in decor; soft, thick carpet, over-sized bed with hangings, wide window nook with inviting pillows lining it and a nearby bookshelf, and a dresser with a soft edged mirror. The only difference is the colors, which flow deftly from one room to the other, making the whole set like a series of inviting rainbows.

“Is it alright?” asks Minnie.

“They’re lovely, thank you so much.” Says Kairi. The room she stayed in previously was nice too, a little smaller, the colors a little muted, and a little closer to the gummi dock. But she realizes that’s probably because they knew she would be waiting impatiently for her boys there. Now though, now she watches, bemused, as Sora runs through the rooms with a whoop to claim the one he wants.

Minnie nods, satisfied that her guests are pleased. “You have some time to settle in, dinner will be in about two hours. Please, let me know if you need anything else in the meantime.”

The boys decide to use this time to spar. They invite Kairi along, almost as an afterthought, which she politely declines. She loves her boys dearly, but sparring with them has never gelled quite right. They were both too hesitant to raise blade against her, despite her protest that in denying her the practice they denied her the skill. (Wakka and Tidus and Selphie were never so polite, and while they may not have been as technically skilled as Riku and Sora, practice was practice at the end of the day.) “Besides, you’ll lose track of time and either show up to dinner smelly or damp, one of us should at least make a good impression.”

They ask what she’ll do instead. Kairi shrugs. “They have a nice hedge maze; I think I’ll pay it a visit.”

It’s not the first time she’s visited the maze, in fact it’s been a regular staple in her stays since the beginning. The maze had quickly become something of a retreat for Kairi, where nobody from the castle would loom with polite smiles and query if she needed anything, where she could just be and breathe and maybe scream and cry a few times - but only a few.

In the center most clearing of the maze, there is a bench and a beautiful, tall fountain. Kairi sits, and quietly, calls out. “Are you there?”

The answer comes from right next to her, and she’s not nearly as surprised as she should be. “Of course, I have little places else to be,” he smiles. “How are you, dear?”

He had never given a name, never appeared anywhere outside the leaves and flowers, and Kairi had never pressed the issue. Once, she passed a memorial monument, and the figure carved of stone bore such a resemblance to her mysterious friend that it left little doubt in her mind that his story had already played out. There is a plaque at the base of the monument and anytime she passes is, Kairi is careful to keep her eyes up (once, just once her eyes lingered for a fraction of a second and she saw a swooping W and looked away before she could see the letters that followed.) If her friend wants to tell her more about himself, then he will, in his own time. 

She wants to ask him, sometimes, about how he died; whether it hurt, what he first remembered upon waking up. But they don’t talk about that. He tells stories about the land, about people long passed. He offers up the knowledge about the power of laughter and friendship and dreams. Kairi confides in him quietly, about her worries, about how the boys don’t take her serious, about how she’s afraid of what they’ll find out there.

“Only the foolish are never afraid,” he says reassuringly. “As long as you don’t let your fear control you, then I’d say you’re just being wise.” He cracks his fingers and stretches his arms, making silly faces as he does so.

“As to your friends, well, I imagine it’s much like a parent realizing their child is grown. They think they know what’s best for you. But you are your own person, Kairi. You don’t have to answer to either one of them. Don’t stay quiet just to spare their feelings, that’s a disservice to the strength of your friendship.”

Kairi hums and kicks her feet back and forth beneath the bench. “How is it you always say what I need to hear?”

Her friend laughs. “Oh, I’m just an old story-teller who likes to believe he knows how a princess’s tale will turn out. You best get a move on, looks like your dinner will be ready soon.”

“Thank you,” Kairi says quickly. “I don’t know when I’ll get to see you again, so I just wanted to say… well, thanks.”

Her friend smiles widely, eyes crinkled at the edges. “My dear, it has been my pleasure. Go and live your adventures and make sure you come back sometime to tell a lonely old fella how your happily ever after came about, alright?”

 

 

“I hope you don’t mind, but we decided to set formalities aside since it’s just us,” says Queen Minnie, as she leads them into a warm, private little dining room. Donald, Goofy, and Daisy are already there, laughing among themselves as they set the table, and the triplets run through, a hurried “excuse us!” trailing as an afterthought.

“I think we can manage,” says Sora.

They all fit at the table _barely_ , there are lots of knees touching and elbows knocking, and plates heavy with food is passed around from person to person. There’s whole roasted chickens,sugared hams with slices of pineapple so big Kairi swears she could wear them for bracelets, there’s smoked sausage and warm, fluffy mashed potatoes followed by a heavy gravy boat, whole ears of corn with generous pats of butter melting merrily away, so many trays of vegetables- sautéed asparagus, stuffed mushrooms, sweet potatoes topped with cinnamon, tiny forests of broccoli and roads made of fresh carrots.

The conversation is just as rich and full as the dinner itself. Nobody talks about what’s going to happen in the morning, instead they trade stories and jokes, gently rib each other until everyone at the table is laughing so hard they can’t breathe. Kairi drinks in the atmosphere as much as she does the food, committing this moment to memory. Something tells her she'll need this in the coming days, need to call up this moment when everything is light and impossible and every breath says _home_ and says _family_  even if the shapes are different and the place isn't sandy beaches and star strewn skies. 

Then they break out dessert. Mountains of confections that can only be described as _ooey_ and _gooey_ in the best possible way. Kairi thinks she could die happily on the smells alone.

“No way, I’m stuffed,” Riku groans, holding his belly in protest.

There’s no rush though, and Riku does eventually pick at a spiced rum cake. The triplets disappear to bed, insisting they have an early flight back to Radiant Garden in the morning and Kairi loves that this is the weirdest thing about the whole scenario, that these triplets who have to be at least half her age are such entrepreneurs (Donald grumbles behind them that they spend too much time around their Uncle Scrooge) and everyone else languishes, the conversation falling slow and sleepy until Minnie finally ushers everyone to bed. “You three have a very early morning tomorrow,” she chides gently. “Now go to sleep and have pleasant dreams.”

And it’s her imagination, it _has_ to be her imagination, but Kairi could swear she reads something in Minnie’s eyes that says _have pleasant dreams while you can._ Paranoia, that's all. Jumping at shadows that aren't really there, she's gotten good at that in recent years. 

The night closes in slowly, hurrying for no one. Kairi lays in bed, tossing fitfully. Sleep will not come easy to her this evening. She watches the stars through her window for a time, before finally giving it up as a lost cause and tip-toeing to the door connecting her room to Sora’s. Kairi pauses, listening for the sound of sleep. The air is too still though, still in the way that clearly says _still awake_. She calls out quietly in the name of good manners.

"I can't sleep either," Sora grumbles. He's made a mess of his bed, all the sheets and blankets balled up, pillows scattered everywhere. "I wonder if Riku is having the same problem."

Kairi grins. "Let's go find out."

Riku is sitting up, not surprised in the least to see his friends come tumbling through the door. Kairi and Sora pile happily into the bed, all three crowd around the window to study the sky.

"Tomorrow it really begins," whispers Kairi.

They watch the moon and speak in hushed whispers - as if they're afraid to jinx themselves- of things that have passed; first impressions of worlds met and friends made. Never the dark things, never the bad memories lurking in the shadows (never the lost boy, or lost heart, or kidnapped princess they were once upon a time.)

Sora pulls out the letter form King Mickey, folded and tattered it's more tissue than paper at this point but that doesn't matter. They all have it memorized, could probably quote it in their sleep (if only they could sleep.) It tells of a new threat, crawling across the worlds, a stain of blackness on the light of millions, only there is nothing as physical as heartless or nobodies left behind this time. There is just the shadows slinking across stars and destroying them whole. Kairi voices the question on all their minds. "It must be bad, if the king is sending us out together. What do you think the darkness is?"

"It doesn't matter, we'll stop it." There is a steel edge to Riku's voice and Kairi knows he's right, knows he has to be. They _have_ to stop it.

The list of coordinates to worlds King Mickey has asked them to check out specifically sits on the windowsill, a silent companion to the night. Eventually they manage to slip into dreams, piled against each other almost uncomfortably.

Kairi, at least, has no dreams that night.

 

 

 

Morning comes far too soon for everyone involved. It's a lot of stumbling around, responding in monosyllable grunts and shoveling delicious things - most of which are wrapped in pancakes because _yum -_ into their mouths before being packaged off to the gummi-ship.

Goodbyes are surprisingly awkward. There's lots of hugs to go around. Donald presses a hefty amount of hi-potions and ethers into their hands, and a tent that folds into the pouch at Sora's side. Queen Minnie presents Kairi with a small wrapped box; inside is a beautiful silver arm cuff, a series of runes delicately etched across its surface.

"It should help boost your natural affinity for light," she explains. The words Kairi wants to say seem to congeal in her throat, making it impossible to swallow without bringing tears to her eyes, so she embraces the queen extra tight instead.

Despite heavy protests the queen also presses a pouch heavy with munny into Riku's hands. "Be safe," she tells them. "And come home soon." 

 

Home means so many things at this point, but they all know that this castle, that these faces, are now part of it. 

The ship they leave in isn't the same dinky thing that's been toting them to and from the islands. "New model," Chip boasts, buffing his tiny nails against his shoulder. "Think we really outdid ourselves this time." It's still recognizable as a gummi-ship, all bright blocks and mismatched colors but it's... sleeker somehow. A little bit bigger too. There's a gunner bay on the bottom level that they all peek down into with shared "ooohs" of appreciation. A main floor that consists of a tiny kitchenette and table with a sleeping chamber cramped with three beds to one side and a very modest bathroom on the other side. A shower head positioned over the toilet and there's just enough room to turn around in, they'll probably have to undress in the kitchen and brush their teeth there too. The cockpit itself is on a top level, up a little ladder. All the panels and buttons are new and shiny and wink at her with promise of the unknown. There's four seats here, she wonders if they're meant to pick someone else up, or if it's just in case. Probably better to be safe than sorry. 

Everyone buckles into a chair in the cockpit, the seats are surprisingly comfortable and Sora flips a series of flips in the manner of one who has done this a hundred times. Everyone is still just outside, waving and calling out to them. Kairi realizes they never got a real goodbye from their friends on the islands, that nobody there knows what they're doing. Only these people know what's really going on. She waves back enthusiastically, heedless of whether they can see her or not from her seat behind Sora. 

 

 

The castle fades away, blending in with the other million stars surrounding it. Kairi grows antsy quick enough and despite the disapproving look from Riku, she unbuckles her seat and meanders over to the pilot chair where Sora is busy punching in a series of numbers.

"Where to first?" She leans over, plucking the list of coordinates off the dash. All the numbers are meaningless to her, she's never taken the time to learn the intricacies of gummi piloting. Although if this trip turned into a long one, perhaps she'd have time to learn.

Sora shrugs, "There's no names or information really so I figured we'd just start at the closest point and work our way out." He punches one last button, which he explains is the auto pilot when he sees Kairi's puzzled expression, and stretches as he moves across the cabin.

"Does nobody believe in traveling safely anymore?" Riku grumbles even as he unbuckles himself.

"You didn't really expect us to sit in the cockpit forever did you?" Sora snickers, makes a face at Riku and ducks before the other boy can get his arm around his neck.

 

Kairi spends a moment longer in the cockpit, staring out at the multitude of stars surrounding them. She's reminded suddenly, painfully, of the naive children they once were, sitting on the paopu tree, dissatisfied with their tiny island world. _I can't wait to see what's out there. I want to see all the other worlds!_ If only they had known, would they have done things differently? Could they have? (She could have, she could have stayed far away from the beach that day, she could have ran when the man in the black cloak first showed up. If she had stayed on the main land then maybe....) But could have and should haves never got anyone anywhere. Kairi shook her head, leaning over to examine one of the panels blinking a series of lights at her. 

 

"Hey, wanna see something cool?" Sora leaned over, a warm hand on her shoulder. She smiled, welcoming the distraction from her own head. He gave a quick, messy break down that didn't make much sense about what some of the panels and switches and lights meant, then he pulled her over the the radar screen, pointing out worlds he knew as they blipped by. "We already have these places charted," he explained, "so when they come across the radar, the system automatically recognizes them. Look, that's Atlantica over there." He tapped a small dot on the screen like it meant more than just dot. "And this one is Wonderland." Sora frowned. "They're in the wrong places though. These worlds don't orbit this near each other ever." 

"Maybe you just never noticed before? you've always had a lot going on." Kairi shoulder bumped him, the look of worry on Sora's face was enough to make _her_  worry and it was too early in the trip for that kind of thinking. 

The frown went as quickly as it came, replaced by a radiant smile. "Yeah, you're probably right. C'mon Riku's checking the cabinets. Apparently Queen Minnie was worried about us starving or something, there's a _ton_ of food." 

Kairi followed him down the ladder, her taking the rungs one at a time where as Sora just grabbed the edges and slid down. "We just finished breakfast!" 

Well, no harm in a mid morning snack, she supposed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those who may be left wondering: yes, Kairi's friend in the garden is the ghost of Walt Disney.


End file.
